a learned Diuine excellently obserueth I would here haue ended but I cannot forget an obseruation of an ancieÌ„t Schooleman vpon these words in this thy day He calles this their day wherein the Sauiour of the world offered them so louingly his grace and saluation their true and eternall peace which if they had embraced then had not the Romanes sacked their citie Here obserue that the day of this life is giuen vs to make prouision for our true and eternall peace but there is an other day wherein Christ will come in iudgement seuerely to punish the contempt and abuse of his proffered grace and saluation in this our day which we haue so vnkindly reiected These two dayes are diligently to be pondered and thought vpon in our mindes the one of these daies is Gods day the other if so I may tearme it is mans day because he abuseth the benefite of this time of grace not to the will of God but to serue his owne pleasures and vanities In this day the wicked will serue their owne lustes and doe as they please now may Zedekiah persecute the Lords Prophet and cast him into a Dungeon But in the day of Gods Iustice Zedekiah shall be taken depriued of his kingdome and his eyes thrust out Betwixt the godly and the wicked this is the difference all the daies of a godly mans life is the day of God for he vseth it to Gods glory and worketh the worke of the Lord. But the wicked maketh it his owne day for he abuseth the whole time of his life to pleasure lust gluttonie c and why Because these things are hidden from thine eyes Here is now the cause of all euill the wicked securely wallowe in their sinnes abuse Gods patience growe dayly worse and worse and become more obdurate in their sinnes because Gods iudgements for sinne and his imminent vengeance is hidden from their eyes as the Prophet saith They put farre from them the euill day and approach to the seate of iniquitie This reason also Salomon giueth Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set to doe euill But let vs my deare brethren betime remember the euill day and knowe the things that pertaine vnto our peace Seeke the Lord while he may be found call vpon him while he is nigh The time was when Esau had a birth-right Diues pleasure Ierusalem peace and the foolish Virgins might haue entered Now is the time that peace is offered repentance preached heaueÌ„ gates are opened The time wil come if we despise the patience of the Lord that we shall pray with Diues and not be heard weepe with Esau not be pittied knocke with the fiue Virgins the doore not opened The Storke the Crane the Turtle the Swallow knowe their appointed time And shall we be more ignorant in the things that pertaine to our peace then the very foules A traueller being being tolde of a Lyon in the way will stay his iourney a blinde man hauing notice of a Serpent in the path will refraine his walking Sathan is a roaring Lyon and shall we goe forward in vngodlines sinne is a stinging Serpent and shall we goe on still in wickednes O then while this our day lasteth while Christs hands are opened and the doore of mercy not shut let vs aske and he will giue vs let vs goe to him and he will saue vs in futuro salum remuneratio condemnatio after this life there is either reward or punishment saluation to the godly destruction to the wicked Thus much for the first impulsiue cause of Christs weeping ouer Ierusalem Namely the present euill which he sawe among them which concerned their mindes and was the cause of all their miserie the blindnes of their mindes because they would not knowe in this their day those things which belonged vnto their peace The other as I said before was the future euill which pertained vnto their bodies Namely their finall destruction by famine fire and sword which our Sauiour foresawe to be at hand for their grieuous sinnes committed against God and his ministers And lastly against the sonne of God himselfe Which destruction he excellently delineateth by the parts thereof For the daies shal come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast 〈◊〉 trench about thee and compasse thee round â—nd keepe thee in on euery side Lastly he declareth the same by the impulsiue cause which mooued the Lord thereunto nameâ—y their ingratitude towards the gratious visitation of God because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation There was neuer any Nation vnder the sunne whose misery calamitie destruction was so great and horrible as this of the Iewish Nation as Iosephus himselfe being a Iewe and in the citie at that very time and therefore testis oculatus an eye witnes of all their miseries doth affirme And also Egesippus who liued in the Apostles time hath committed to writing and to this very day the wrath of God pursueth them as their miserable dispertion and persecution through the whole world doth manifest in the time of the siege the famine was so great that dogges cattes and mise were eaten yea one deuoured an others vomit and which I tremble to speake women did kill dresse and greedily deuour their owne children the extremitie of famine vtterly abolishing all motherly compassion and nature eleuen hundred thousand perished by famine sword and pestilence and ninetie seuen thousand after the destruction of the citie were carried away into miserable captiuitie Was euer the like masacrie heard of since the vniuersall flood wherein the whole world Noah and his company onely excepted perished by water What a fearefull example of his iustice hatred and seueritie against sinne did God shew in this horrible vastation of that citie But how great also was his pietie and mercy in that so long before he foretolde and bewailed with bitter teares this memorable desolation We reade that Christ wept for three causes and at three seuerall times First he wept for to confirme our hope and confidence in his mercy when we consider that these compassionate teares of our Sauiour flowed from his intire mercy and loue Secondly he wept that he might mollifie our stonie hearts to relent for our sinnes and to teach vs to bewaile our owne miseries Thirdly he wept to instruct vs when is the due time of weeping which is when we feele our conscience most secure in our sinnes litle thinking vpon Gods vengeance as did the Iewes at this time At three sundrie times also we reade that he wept 1 First at the raising vp of Lazarus where he bewailed mans incredulitie and conscience dead in sinne which custome hath brought to such an obstinate habite that neither his threatnings may awake nor his sweete promises rowse them vp out of this deadly lethargie 2 Secondly vpon the
euer be silent at these and many other sinnes which sorrowe of heart forbiddeth me to vtter No no God will not be mocked he is the same he changeth not Let vs therefore yet at length acknowledge the time of our visitation and let vs consider the season that it is now time that we should rise from sleepe for now is our saluation nearer then when we beleeued the night is passed the day is at hand let vs cast away the workes of darkenes and put vpon vs the armour of light so that we walke honestly as in the day not in gluttonie and drunkennes strife and enuying Here againe is seriously to be considered that Christ mentioneth two daies or times but very vnlike to each other The first is the time of grace wherein we liue The other the time of wrath and iudgement To the first time which is the time present wherein we liue our Sauiour giueth three names he calleth it the time of our visitation the day of peace or which is giuen vs to prouide for our peace And our day It is called the time of visitation because God in his onely beloued sonne of his infinite mercy and loue hath visited vs. It is called the day of peace because in it Christ hath with his owne precious blood reconciled vs vnto God and because we should therein seeke forth things that pertaine vnto our true peace He calleth it our day because our gratious God hath allotted this time for repentance that we might giue all diligence to make our calling and election sure to serue the Lord in righteousnes and holines to lay vp treasures in heauen to labour by repentance to be truely reconciled vnto God to make prouision for the eternall day in the life to come which neuer shall haue ende He calleth this in the singular number a day because the time of this life is short but a moment a vapour smoke a dreame a thought a thing of nothing which should moue vs because the time is short to worke the more earnestly in the worke of the Lord to walke the more warily in the way towards heauen that we may be blamelesse and pure as the sonne of God when we shall appeare before him to labour to adorne our soules with vertues to take heed watch and pray for we knowe not when the time is After the Apostles counsaile to forget that which is behinde and speedily to endeuour our selues vnto that which is before and followe hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Least we fall into the other day which is the day of Iudgement the day of wrath which shall be no more called our day but the day of the Lord a day of trouble and heauines a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscuritie and darkenes this day of the Lord is great and terrible who may abide it This day the Lord expresseth in the plurall number for the daies shall come vpon thee because the punishments shall be great and without end This day the Lord hath ordained for them which contemne this present acceptable time of grace the day of saluation the time of his gratious visitation and refuseth to knowe in this their day the things that pertaine vnto their peace There is none so wicked but the louing God who willeth not the death of a sinner giueth him his day if he had the grace to knowe it Thou biting Vsurer thou beastly whoremonger thou blody murtherer thou prowling thiefe thou cruell oppressor thou couetous Caitiffe thou swinish Epicure thou that liuest in enuie malice c. O consider in time I say consider that the mercifull GOD giueth thee a day The day of this life to prouide by Repentance for thy peace whensoeuer the Lorde by his Preachers out of his holy Word or by his holy motions Diuine inspirations stings of conscience c. knocketh at the dore of thy heart Thinke then that this is thy day Oh slippe not this occasion Let not this time vnfruitfully passe away Open to this sweete Guest least for thy contempt of his gratious Visitation thou fall into the dayes of his fearfull Wrath and terible indignation Beholde now is the accepted time beholde now is the day of saluation But leauing the Iewes in their infidelitie and hardnesse of heart Let vs come vnto our selues brethren whom the Lord is wont many times to visite Hee visiteth vs when by his benefites he exciteth vs to loue him Visite vs saieth the prophet with thy saluation Hee visiteth vs when he sendeth vnto vs teachers ministers of his word to shew vs the way of Eternall felicitie So when he raised vp the widowes Sonne from Death the people glorified GOD saying A great Prophet is raised vp among vs and God hath visited his People to whome he sent such a Prophet and teacher of Righteousnes He visiteth vs being secure carelesse and nothing bettered by his Worde and benefites when he chastiseth vs with calamities crosses and plagues to the intent hee may recall vs into the way of Righteousnesse Of this Visitation in the person of God speaketh the princely Prophet But if his Children forsake my Lawe and walke not in my Iudgements if they breake my Statutes and keepe not my Commandements then will I visite their transgressions with the Rod and their inquities with Scourges Sometimes he visiteteth vs by his preachers which are his Ambassadors to deliuer his message vnto vs Sometimes by giuing vs good Motions and holie Inspirations Sometime by the examples of others that beholding before our Eyes their punishments we should be the more warie how we fall into sinne For so the Lord saith by his Prophet Ieremie When I saw how that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the harlot I cast her away and gaue her a bill of diuorsement yet her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraide but played the harlot also And thus the Lord greeuously threatneth by his Prophet that Iudah would not beware by an others harme and acknowledge Gods visitation in her sisters punishment as it were seeing fire in her next neighbours roofe according to the prouerbe Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When fired is thy neighbours wall Thou knowest thy danger is not small So that there is no wicked man but one time or other hath a time of visitation as Ierusalem had her time of visitation by Christs doctrine examples and miracles so there is no sinner at whose heart God sometime doth not knocke though they doe not all alike receiue his visitation After this manner the Lord is wont to visite his people to whose voice and gratious visitation many giue so deafe an eare that they are neither wonne by his benefites mollified by his admonitions mooued by his inward inspirations nor by his plagues and punishments will be reduced into the way of
THE TRIALL OF true Teares Or the Summons to repentance whereby the secure sinner is taught how to escape the terrible Sentence of the Supreame Iudge Meditated vpon CHRISTES weeping ouer Ierusalem very necessarie for these present Times By William Est Maister of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word 2. Cor. 7.10 For godly sorrow causeth Repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of LONDON Printed by Tho. Creede for Arthur Iohnson dwelling neere the great North doore of S. Paules Church at the signe of the white Horse 1613. To the Right worshipfull the Ladie Elizabeth Greynuile all happines in this life and eternall felicity in the life to come HAuing good Madam at the vrgent importunitie of some of my best Friends reared vp the walls of this simple Edifice as you fee and fearing the weakenesse therof being such that it needed some support to keepe it from falling At length my ambiguous thoughts seized vpon your worships patronage I haue long registred in my heart a gratefull acknowledgement of your and my good patrones benefits extended towards mee and wanting worthie meanes in reall requittance to expresse the same I presumed which is all I could in this dedication to manifest Not forgetting your worthie and Right worshipfull Father Phillip Beuile with your vertuous Mother whose bountifull Hospitalitie charitable liberalitie religious gouernment of their Familie plainely sheweth to the worlde that they hold thēselues not borne vnto themselues to liue to themselues but as good Stewards of Gods manifold blessings plētifully powred vpō them to diffuse the same to the good of manie which I assure you hath wonne the loue of the rich the praiers of the poore and the applause and praise of all farre and neere in your country If the reading of these my poore Labours at ydle houres may yeeld you any contēt or comfort it is the thing I wish yet more then I can promise saue only in regard of the substāce Small I confesse is the gift in regard of the Author but great indeed in respect of the worthines of the subiect which if no thing else I am perswaded will giue it good acceptance with the well inclined These my labours I commit to your worships fauorable protection promising that if time industrie shall bring forth more mature fruits of my studies by Gods assistāce hereafter you shall also bee partakers of them In the meane time take I beseech you in good part these my well wishings to your welfare and praiers to the Almightie that he would cōtinue his blessings towards you in this life after this mortal race run out grāt you the fruition of his heauenly kingdome Your Worships in all dutie deuoted W. Est THE TRYAL OF TRVE TEARES OR THE SOMMONS to Repentance Luc. 19. vers 41.42.43.44 Luc. 19. v. 41. And when he was come neere he beheld the citie and wept for it 42. Saying O if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes 43. For the daies shall come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side 44. And shall make thee euen with the ground and thy children which are in thee and they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation FIrst here is expressed the occasion Secondly the impulsiue causes That which ministred occasion to the Lord of this weeping was the sight of the citie vers 41. The causes impulsiue are two namely two euills the one present and the other future The present euill was the euill of the minde to wit the blindnes of the Citizens vers 42. The affirmation of this blindnes he amplifieth by an antithesis of a contrarie wish or desire when he saith Oh that thou haddest knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace c. The future euill pertained vnto their bodies which was the destruction of the citie This destruction againe he excellently deliniateth by the partes thereof and afterward declareth by the impulsiue cause what mooued the Lord thereunto namely their ingratitude toward the gratious visitation of God because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the midst of the pompe and ioyfull acclamations wherewith he was receiued into Ierusalem some spreading their garments in the way others applauding and singing a ioyfull Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid was nothing at all cheared and delighted with this solemnitie neither tooke he any pleasure in the externall glorie and beautie of the citie nor in their present peace but cast the eyes of his minde into that which inwardly lurked namely their sinnes and abhominations and foreseeing the seueritie of Gods imminent vengeance for the same this louing Sauiour in tender compassion with his holy teares bewailed their securitie and desolation at hand 1 First for our instruction let vs note here in this first verse these three things That it is said he came neare to Ierusalem 2 That he beheld the Citie 3 That he wept for it For the first God in his mercie oftentimes commeth neere vnto sinners obstinate in their vices and wickednes that he might irradiate and dispierce the darkenes of their minds with the bright beames of his grace and holy inspirations This is it our louing God saith Behold I stand at the doore and knocke If any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in vnto him and suppe with him and he with me But ô wretched men and women which neglect so great a proffered saluation reiect his diuine inspirations stoppe the doore of their hearts against so sweet a guest and refuse to heare his voyce and giue a deafe eare to his wholesome admonitions This obstinacie of the sinners and iniurie offered to their Creator the Prophet bewaileth and denounceth a woe against them Woe to her that is filthie and polluted to the robbing citie she heard not the voyce she receiued not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not neere vnto her God He approached not so much with his bodily feete as with the feete of loue and compassion whereby we are taught to be tender hearted towards such as are in miserie yea the rich may here learne to come neere the poore and needie and in a sympathie and fellow-feeling of their miseries to relieue their necessities if they will be true followers of Christ Next it is said that he beheld the citie O how happie had they bene if they had made vse of this the Lords beholding them so he beheld Peter Zacheus and Mathew had mercie vpon them and conuerted them for saluation proceedeth from this mercifull beholding of the Lord his eyes did flowe with tender loue and compassion as contrariwise by the turning away of his face proceedeth perdition
Hittite to be thy wife Thus saith the Lord Behold I will raise vp euill against thee out of thine owne house and will take thy wiues before thine eyes and giue them vnto thine neighbour and he shall lie with thy wiues in the sight of this sunne For thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the sunne and though the Lord vpon his peccaui and vnfained repentance did put away his sinne So that he did not die yet to shew his hatred of sinne to all posterities what seuere chastisements and tragicall crosses all his life long did God inflict but how great and extraordinarie was his repentance that followed this sinfull fact he himselfe witnesseth So that his whole life afterwards seemed too little for repentance that he might be reconciled vnto God and restored into his fauour How did he bewaile his great offences desiring God that he would forgiue his sinnes and renew in him his holy spirit promising that he would not be vnmindfull of so great a grace shewed vpon him And how vehement was his sorrowe he expresseth I am bowed and crooked very sore I goe mourning all the day I am weakened and sore broken I roare for very griefe of my heart Lord I powre my whole desire before thee and my sighing is not hid from thee Againe how great was that sorrowe when he saith I fainted in my mourning I cause my bedde euery night to swimme and water my couch with my teares Therefore for the fewe nights which he spent in filthie and sinfull pleasure he passed the rest of his time in bitter weeping sighing and mourning And his bedde which he had polluted with vnlawfull lust he afterwards washed with a large and plentifull flood of teares And what could be more to expresse his serious and earnest repentance Notwithstanding this repentance let them with a feeling heart consider what followed which sport and â—est at this sinne and tearme it but a tricke of youth a naturall inclination c. Though King Dauid were highly beloued of God as a man after his owne heart yet the Lord would not so lightly passe ouer his sinnes but by his chastisements and afflictions would make him a memorable example to all licentious liuers to the worlds end For first the children the fruit of his adulterie was striken with sicknes and died 2. His daughter Thamar was incestuously defiled by her owne brother Ammon 3. Ammon for his incest was slaine by Absolon 4. Absolon raised warre vpon him ambitiously aspiring after his fathers kingdome and conspiring against him defiled his concubines and came to a wofull destruction And therefore for defiling the one wife of Vriah his tenne concubines were polluted and defiled not by a stranger but by his owne sonne not in secret but in the open viewe of all Israel according as the Prophet Nathan foretolde For thou diddest it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel If God so grieuously afflicted King Dauid a man after his owne heart for the sinne of adulterie and that after so great sorrowe and contrition of heart for his offences Mercifull God in what state doe they stand which make no conscience of this sinne yea iest at it so farre off are they from sorrowing with holy Dauid But let such by these examples consider the fearefull estate they are in and Gods heauie wrath hanging ouer their heads that if they be not altogether giuen ouer to a reprobate sense they may betimes betake themselues to amendment of life labour by Dauids example by serious and vnfained repentance to be reconciled vnto God that they may come out of the snares of the Diuell and escape the eternall torments prepared for them It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Now brethren these things are examples vnto vs as the Apostle saith That we should not lust after euill things as they lusted For whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning These indeed are manifest examples of Gods great hatred and vengeance against all impietie and wicked men but these temporall punishments are light yea but a shadowe being compared to the eternall torments in the life to come these chiefely afflict the body but the other shall seize vpon body and soule These are but temporarie and prefined within the limits of this short life the other eternall which neuer shall finde ende or limit If then this vastation of Ierusalem foreseene so long before did drawe teares from our louing Lord with what teares of contrition should we bewaile our sinnes which will in the end without repentance plunge vs in eternall torments whereof all other affliction is but an Image or shadowe For so the Apostle Peter layeth before vs the destruction of Sodome and Gomorah as an example of the eternall punishments prepared for these which hereafter should liue vngodly There the damned shall spiritually suffer all these things which the Lord here bewaileth but after a diuers manner of torment There all the rabble of the wicked shall be trenched about with their enemies the Diuells so that they shall haue no euasion to escape out of their hands There shall be famine sword and pestilence that is diuers kindes of torments proceeding from the order of Gods Iustice according to the condition of euery sinne And it may perhaps haue probabilitie which some think that there shall be diuers kindes of torments for diuers kinds of sinnes as namely other torments for the proud other for the couetous other for the leacher other for the enuious c. So that the proud and high minded shall there be deiected and cast downe full lowe the couetous shall there be pined with extreame penurie of all things There the enuious in rage shall rent and teare their owne bowells There the lecher for the short pleasure of his vncleane flesh shall be tormented with most bitter tortures There the greedie glutton who made his bellie his God shall with the rich glutton be tormented with most cruell hunger and thirst and be denied one droppe of colde water to coole his tongue And whereas the Lord saith of that sinfull citie there shall not be left one stone vpon an other which shall not be throwne downe This calamitie also shall not there be wanting when there shall be no sence no member of the body left without his torment for euen as the wicked haue giuen their members as weapoÌ„s of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne So the order of Gods iustice requireth that no meÌ„ber should be free from his proper deserued punishment So the vnchast eyes so the eares which lay open to detractions and slanders So the deceitfull tongue which vttered so many lies falsehoods sparing neither the same of widdowe wife virgin or any other so the body which was effeminate weakened with so many pleasures and delights shall there receiue
their seuerall torments according to the qualitie of the offence Where that shall be fulfilled which the spirit of God saith In as much as she glorified her selfe and liued in pleasure so much giue ye to her torment and sorrowe and for euery member vpon which the fabricke of mans body as an edifice built with stones consisteth shall receiue worthy and peculiar punishment If then Gods temporal Iudgemēts in this life which manifest his hatred of all iniquitie should breede in vs a detestation of sin how much more should the consideration of his eternall punishments wherof the other as I said are but a shadowe be an effectual remedie against al vngodlines plant the filiall and healthfull feare of God in our hearts This is it which the Lord himselfe requireth of vs. Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body and soule in hell What hope is then left for those forlorne wretches inuironed with so many torments what will they doe whither will they flie what counsaile will they take will they flie to the remedie of repentance but now the time of repentance is past and the day of vengeance is come will they then seeke for shelter at Gods mercy which is the onely refuge and solace in all miseries but this life onely is the time of mercy and pardon but then is the time of wrath and iudgement Let vs not beloued suffer the day of this life which God in his mercy hath lent vs to seeke peace pardon and reconsiliation vnprofitably to slippe away least the day of wrath vengeance and irreuocable destruction surprise vs at vnawares The day of this life is the time of Gods gratious visitation allotted vs to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life saith holy Zachariah not onely omnibus diebus all the daies but omnibus diebus nostris saith a writer all our daies for the time of this mortall life is giuen vnto vs to serue the Lord in all holy conuersation making prouision for the life eternall for death will shortly arrest vs when there shal be no more place nor time of repentance therefore saith our Sauiour The night commeth when none can worke Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluation But to returne againe to the words of the texte why did God inflict this horrible punishment vpon Ierusalem and the whole Nation of the Iewes The Lord himselfe giueth the reason because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation The Lord in his mercy did many waies visite thē both by prosperitie and aduersitie as in part I haue before discoursed And lastly he visited them from an high by sending to them his onely sonne IESVS CHRIST who brought with him all good things by which he illuminated them that sate in darkenes and in the shadowe of death and freely offered them his graces and saluation Which inestimable benefits they were so farre off from acknowledging that they reiected and crucified the Author of so great a saluation as their forefathers persecuted all the Prophets before them It may seeme strange will some say that in the midst of this publike ioy and applause of the people CHRIST wept at his comming to Ierusalem which at any other time we neuer reade that he did though he was many times before in the citie the cause hereof is easily to be giuen The Lord came at this time most louingly to visite this citie and to performe all things which the Prophets foretolde of him to consummate whatsoeuer was promised of the Messias and to manifest his infinite loue to the posteritie of Abraham yea towards all men being now readie to giue his life a ransome for the sinnes of the whole world This mercifull visitation they would in no wise knowe wherefore there was nothing more to be expected but the seueritie of Gods wrath and iudgements to fall vpon them which before he had threatned As I goe my way and ye shall seeke me and you shall die in your sinnes And The daies will come that you shall desire to see one of the daies of the sonne of man and ye shall not see it And againe O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which were sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered thy Children together as the henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not behold your habitation shall be left vnto you desolate Againe Ye daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children for behold the daies will come when men shall say blessed are the barraine and the wombe that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke All these euills were at hand yea euen at the doore punishment could not long be deferred seeing Gods gratious visitation was contemned This did CHRIST foresee as if it were present namely that Ierusalem should come with that whole Nation into vtter desolation without environed with the enemie within afflicted with seditions and factions that so many thousands should perish with the sword famine and pestilence that the remnant should be scattered abroad through the whole world solde and be made a spectacle vnto all Nations this their miserie this pittifull Sauiour knewe to be at hand and bewailed the same This offereth to our view two necessarie obseruations to be seriously considered of all true feeling Christian hearts First how fearefully God is wont to punish ingratitude and incredulitie Secondly from whence all miserie in the world as famine sword pestilence strange diseases and all euills both of body and soule proceed Will ye know how seuerely God punisheth the ingratitude and incredulitie of men Surely with spirituall blindnes a most terrible and grieuous plague and what is that blindnes The most fearefull of all the rest when for our sinnes God taketh the light of his grace and holy spirit from vs and giueth vs not vnderstanding hearts that we might knowe the time of our visitation and the things which pertaine to our peace When men cannot foresee nor see in time neither good nor euill happines nor miserie Their good they see not before it be lost and gone their euills they foresee not before they fall vpon them and light on their heads to their irreuocable destruction so that they cannot shun or avoide them and is not this a plague of all plagues What more vnhappie then when a man hath many good things and yet seeth them not nor knoweth them much lesse can conuert them to his vse and profit what more fearefull then when all euills destructions and miseries hangeth ouer our heads yea euen at the doore and yet we see them not nor will knowe them that we might escape them And so was it with the people of the Iewes as it is alwaies with wicked men they had CHRIST the
Sonne of God and Sauiour among them and with him all goodnes eternall saluation and God himselfe yet they did not see him they would not knowe him they would not beleeue in him before Christ with the kingdome of God and all goodnes departed from them and all miseries ouerwhelmed them warres famine sword and pestilence which vtterly destroyed the citie and whole Nation as Iosephus who was present at that time in the citie during the siege reporteth that one million perished with the sword and famine and after the sacking of that goodly citie which was so ruinated and laide waste that there was not left one stone vpon an other so that all that beheld it euen to this day may say O quam periere ruinae How are the ruines ruinated there were solde for slaues by the Romanes 97000. which were dispersed and scattered into all Nations So seuerely did God punish this Natiō for their incredulitie ingratitude with blindnes that they could not enioy the graces and fauours which God offered them nor escape his punishments denounced against them So fearefull a thing is it to fall into the hands of the liuing God O how horrible a punishment is this Pôrosis Cardhias obduration hardnes of hart and blindnes when God taketh away his grace and light from men which they refuse and wlll not walke therein and giueth them ouer to Sathan to be blinded who so darkeneth their cogitations as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles that being past feeling they giue themselues to worke all vncleannes euen with greedines And the cause of this Analgesias and losse of feeling the Apostle teacheth to be obstinacie and perseuerance in sinne against conscience so that at length they begin obducere callum to growe to hardnes of heart that as if their conscience were seared with a hotte yron they are touched with no sence and feeling of their sinnes any more nay the wickednes they commit against the first or second table they feare not to iest at and defend as if it were well done calling good euill and euill good And this is the extreamest degree to perdition and may well be called not onely the most greeuous of all sinnes but also the cause of all sinnes and a punishment of sinne in this life This the Apostle calleth Spiritum Catanózeôs Spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare O fearefull estate And from whence is so great blindnes in the world at this day among such as professe christianitie that whoredomes murthers theft periuries horrible swearing and blasphemies vsurie and oppression fraude deceit and vndermining one of an other and all other sins against conscience are daily practised without shame or any feeling at all Surely these are manifest signes of Gods wrath pursuing vs for our ingratitude and contempt of his graces giuing vs ouer as incorrigible vnto the power of Sathan and hardnes of heart And is not this a miserable blindnes that these sins haue brought vs to the very brincke of the pit of destruction and without repentance must needs cast vs shortly therein and yet we will not see it that we might auoide the danger nor the snares the diuell layeth before vs that we might escape them but run on still in our wickednes to our irreuocable ruine refusing to knowe in this our day the things which pertaine vnto our peace but after the hardnes of our heart that cannot repent heape still vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Surely it is to be feared that the Lords controuersie which he hath with this land is so great as that he had with that sinfull Nation because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land by swearing and lying stealing and whoring they breake forth and blood toucheth blood The Lord for his infinite mercy sake lighten the darkenes of our mindes and giue vs feeling and vnderstanding hearts Secondly we are here taught from whence warres famine scarcitie of all things the sword and strange diseases pestilence and all euills in the world spring and proceed namely for our ingratitude towards God because we will not knowe the time of our visitation nor the things that pertaine to our true peace This gratious visitation began when the sonne of God tooke our flesh vpon him and was borne in the world through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs saith holy Zachariah which benefite was so great that all the wit of men and Angells is not able to expresse it sufficiently and this louing visitation as yet endureth he ceaseth not still to visite vs but how little doe we consider thereof what thankfulnesse haue we shewed how little are we bettered thereby how small is our care to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life yet to this very end our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ visited vs saith his Apostle who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes No maruell then that we haue had so many yeares of dearth vnseasonable weather horrible tempests shipwrackes pestilence strange diseases c. God hath but now begun he doth in fatherly affection but shake the rodde ouer our heads our sinnes are the cause which except we remoue the effects will not cease patientia laesa fit furor except he see amendment his long patience shal be conuerted into the furie of his wrath Let then Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes be a warning vnto vs. Happie is he whom other mens harmes can cause to beware The vse is that we applie these things vnto our selues and learne to be wise by the punishments of others A long time now hath the Gospell bene purely preached vnto vs but with what fruite How fewe of vs doe acknowledge as we ought this gratious visitation of the Lord Where is our obedience reuerence and thankefulnes due vnto Gods holy word where is our zeale and loue we owe vnto Gods ministers where is our reformation of life How many scoffers are there among vs How many are there which thinke themselues in the arrogancie of their spirit to be wiser then their teachers How many are there which come rather as criticall carpers and censurers of the Preacher then fruitfull hearers What contempt and neglect of the holy exercise of publike prayer the chiefest dutie of a true Christian to which God hath made so many sweete promises and so earnestly commaundeth How many are there which holde that the whole dutie of a Christian consisteth in hearing onely without any care to conuert their hearing into knowledge and their knowledge into action How many swinish Epicures are there to be found de grege porci which liue rather like hogges then Christians Shall we thinke that God the iust reuenger of all impietie will
and all wretchednes But if thou hide thy face they are troubled saith the Prophet We ought therefore to pray vnto the Lord that he would vouchsafe to cast his mercifull eyes vpon vs and say with the Princely Prophet Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble He wept for it Here are laide open before vs these two attributes and perfections of God Mercie and Iustice which alwaies goe together coniunction and hand in hand in all his workes His Iustice appeared in that he tooke so district a reuenge vpon that nation for their grieuous sinnes against him It was his tender mercie in that he wept and bewailed a signe of his true humanitie their extreame miserie and finall desolation at hand for their wickednes the fire of Gods wrath alreadie kindled and the sword of his heauenly father readie drawne to strike them His mercie is ouer all his workes The experience hereof wee plainely see in this people How many blessings graces and benefits out of the inexhaust treasurie of his loue bestowed he on them he gaue them a lawe he miraculously protected them he raised vp Prophets Patriarks and Apostles among them the Messias was promised and sent vnto them they were his peculiar and chosen people of all nations in the world But see now brethren the seueritie of his iustice and with feeling hearts learne thereby the true feare of the Lord when they became vngratefull hard-hearted disobedient despised his word persecuted his Prophets polluted themselues with all wickednes God vtterly reiected them they finde now the heauens inclement towards them God to neglect them and whither soeuer they turne themselues they are exposed to the hissings reproaches and iniuries of all Nations Without faith without lawe without Religion without Prophet without Temple without God hauing not so much as a litle space of the earth alotted them to inhabite and fortifie themselues being destitute of all succour O the seueritie of Gods iudgement against sinne and why was all this Because they knewe not the time of their visitation As I shall God willing vnfold at large when I come to the handling of these words Whereby it plainely appeareth that the Lord did not so much bewaile the ruine of the strong walles the stately Towers the gorgeous buildings the rich ornaments and beautie of that goodly citie all which he foresawe should be vtterly ruinated for their sinnes their sinnes I say the cause of al misery which they made light of and least thought vpon did drawe these teares from the sacred eyes of our Sauiour We see sometimes a mad man the neerer he is to destruction the more he laugheth and sporteth but his deare friends knowing the danger he is in weepe and bewaile him the more This franticke citie when it was nearest to spoile vtter destruction most laughed and reioyced but Christ sheddeth compassionate teares for them which he would not haue done if they had lamented and mourned for their owne sinnes I here obserue if Christ the true estimator of things did bewaile the sinnes of others how much more ought euery true feeling Christian heart wish with holy Ieremie Oh that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the maimes and wounds that sinne hath made in my soule whereby I haue prouoked the wrath of my louing God and stand in daunger of eternall damnation If the Israelites in the captiuitie of Babell sate and wept by the riuers side when they remembred Sion their beloued countrey so that neither the pleasant riuers nor the melodious chirping birds or any other worldly delight might cheare vp their drooping spirits How much greater matter of sorrow is ministred vnto all impenitent sinners if they would but call to minde their infinite and grieuous sinnes wherby they haue kindled the fire of Gods wrath against them and are holden vnder the miserable captiuitie of Sathan Exiles Not from the Earthly Ierusalem but from the Heauenly not builded with insensible but with liuing stones by the hand of the omnipotent God This blessed Countrey of Gods elect from which though all Infidells Atheists and wicked liuers are banished yet can it suffer no detriment nor euer be destroyed against which neither Chaldean Babilonian nor Persian nor all the wicked rable are able to cast a darte or shoot an Arrow where is heard no sound of Hostilitie no crackling of Armour but the inhabitants shall reioyce in most secure peace and pleasure for euermore Shall the Sonne of God himselfe weepe foreseeing the extreame miserie that sinne bringeth vppon the wicked and shall the heart of Man whome this onely concerneth bee so hard and insensible as not to shead one teare of contrition for his sinnes Oh that wee would consider the grieuousnes of sinne and the plagues which God hath in store for the same we would then tremble and feare and seeke by repentance to be reconciled vnto God we would then chose rather to be an other Heraclitus in weeping and lamenting for our sinnes then Democritus in vaine laughter and reioycing in our sinnes Oh that men would remember and with a feeling heart consider the torments that God hath reserued for the wicked I then perswade my self that vaine delights would haue no place in your hearts Surely beloued when in the secrete silence of my soule I meditate hereupon I muse with my selfe and think it to be a wonder of all wonders to see an Adulterer Blasphemer c. to laugh sing and sporte being in that state wherein nothing but eternall damnation is to be expected without speedy repētance If Dionisius the Tyrant of Siracusa could take no delight in his glorie stately pallace purple Robes costly fare c because as hee shewed Damocles his flatterer he stood euer in feare of the Sword How is it possible that a wicked man or woman can carry a serene countenance or a light hart hauing so many swordes from Heauen drawne against them This may well bee called according to the Greek Adage Bardónios yélos the laughter of a mad man or Aiánteos yélos Aiax his deadly laughter But truely it is to be lamented yea with a Torrent of teares to be bewailed that the subiect of our sorrowe is commonly the losse of temporal things Many bewaile the losse of the Creature but fewe of the Creator of all One lamenteth the losse of his transitorie goods like prophane Esau for his birth-right Another sorroweth at the losse of his Honour Fame and worldly credit as Saul who mourned not so much for his transgression in disobeying the voyce of the Lord the cause of all his miseries as for the loue of his worldly honor and reputation and therefore saide to Samuell Honour me I pray thee before the Elders of my people and before Israel But all this sorrowe is vaine and vnprofitable For though wee powre
themselues merrie therewith but let such knowe that this woe denounced by the Prophet perteineth to them Woe be vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke and maketh him drunken c. Fourthly here we haue a notable testimonie of these two attributes in God Mercy and Iustice an excellent mirrour for Magistrates that if in Iustice they be compelled to punish a malefactor yet in the midst of Iustice mercy and clemencie should shine forth which here appeareth in this sweete Sauiour who though in short time after he was to inflict most horrible plagues and finall destruction vpon this incorrigible and sinfull nation yet he shed most mercifull and compassionate teares for their transgressions for otherwise Iustice looseth suumesse the propertie of Iustice and is conuerted into tyrannie if it be done with delight be not tempered with mercy Memorable was the fact of Marcus Marcellus who being now readie to inuade and repunge the gallant citie of Siracusa gate him vp into a high Tower to behold the euent of the battell and when he beheld the Souldiers valiantly encountering on both sides the crackling of the glittering armour besprinkled with blood the horrible clamour of those which were slaine the fire flaming vp into the skies the terrible noise of the falling of the stately buildings of that glorious citie he burst forth into teares though the victorie went on his side considering the miserie they were in and that he was enforced to sacke so ancient a citie The ancient Romanes for in later time they were more corrupt shall rise in iudgement against all cruell and merciles Magistrates which are touched with no Christian commiseration Titus Flam amongst them was put out of his office and disgraded for that he caused a man which was before condemned to be hanged in his Parlour a mans life is not a matter to be plaied with or iested at Contrariwise Sulpitius was greatly praised among them who neuer iudged any vnaduisedly nor tooke pleasure in the iust execution of Iudgement but his teares were often seene to trickle from his eyes when he pronounced sentence of death vpon any Pars Secunda O that thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace c. HEre our Sauiour amplifieth the affirmation of this blindnes of the people which drew these teares from the compassionate Sauiour of the world by an elegant antithesis of the contratie wish or desire O if thou haddest euen knowne c. These words expresse a passion proceeding of sorrow which if it be vehement is wont to interrupt and cut off some words which should make vp and finish the speech This figure is vsuall among the Rhetoritians and is called in Greeke Aposiopesis where something is left out which must be vnderstood for the perfecting of the speech As Quos ego sed mot os praestat componere fluctus againe quanquam ôsi solitae quicquam virtutis adesset And O mihi praetentos referat si Iuppiter annos So here O if thou haddest euen knowne c. is to be vnderstood how happie blessed haddest thou bene O Ierusalem if thou haddest knowne the things that belong vnto thy true peace as thou art wholy intent to this supposed false and transitorie peace which now maketh thee secure ô then how happie haddest thou bene thou wouldest then foresee thy imminent destruction for thy sinnes and betake thee to repentance and teares whereas now thou reioycest that thou mightest indeed procure thy true peace and safetie O if thou haddest knowne to wit the ruine which haÌ„geth ouer thy head or me thy Redeemer who am come so graciously to visite thee thou wouldest then weepe bewaile thy grieuous sins wherewith thou hast incensed the wrath of God against thee whereas now thou flatterest thy selfe with vaine ioy as if all things went well with thee By the word peace among the Hebrewes is signified not one singular good but all good things which the Son of God brought with him into the world for at his comming the cateracts of heauen were opened and a plentifull showre of all graces powred downe on the earth the first fruits thereof the Lord first offered most gratiously vnto â—he people of the Iewes to whom he was â—romised whom he sought to illuminate â—ith his doctrine to confirme in the faith â—ith his miracles to kindle their loue with â—is benefits to erect them in the hope of â—mmortalitie with his merites with the exâ—mples of his vertues to allure them to â—ollow him with the maiestie of his preâ—ence to grace them and lastly to aduance â—hem into his heauenly kingdome These â—re the things which they ought to haue â—cknowledged the want whereof the Lord â—ere bewaileth First in that aboue all things the Lord wisheth vnto them the knowledge of the present good and future euill we are to obserue how great and fearefull is the careles ignorance of men and their supine obliuion of the time to come by reason of their present peace and prosperitie which Christ here deploreth in the Iewes which being blinded with the peace glory and abundance of their temporall and present prosperitie neuer thought vpon the future euils and miseries which for their sinnes were shortly to be inflicted vpon them For when the secure sinner shall say peace and safetie then shall suddaine destruction come vpon him as trauaile vpon a woman with childe and he shall not escape For as oftentimes suddaine trauaile commeth vpon a woman with childe So Gods vengeance falleth suddainely vpon the sinner in his deepe obliuion of the time to come when they will not knowe the things that pertaine to their true peace And so God is wont tarditatem vindictae grauitate compensare to recompence his slownes with the grieuousnes of his vengeance Well saith S. Gregorie vpon this place the peruerse soule being wholy intente to things present and resolued in earthly pleasures abscondit sibi mala sequentia hideth from himselfe the dangers following and refuseth to foresee the euills to come least they should disturbe his present mirth but whiles he walloweth in worldly delights what doth he else but clausis oculis ad ignem vadere goe blindfolde to hell fire saith he Least this forgetfulnes should possesse our mindes the Apostle counsaileth that they that reioyce should be as if they reioyced not that is as Gregorie expoundeth it praesentis temporis it a agenda laetitia vt amaritudo sequent is iudicij nunquam recedat a memoria The mirth and pleasure of this present time are so to be passed that the bitternes of the future iudgement neuer depart from our mindes In thy good estate remember aduersitie saith the wise man But it happeneth to the sinner concerning his worldly delights as it doth vnto a traueller who to finde some shelter from the heate of the sunne resteth himselfe vnder the shadowe of a
tree and by reason of wearines falleth into a sound sleepe vntill the sunne in his course going about the shadow departeth and when he awaketh he findeth himselfe parched with the Sunne raies his body sweating and inflamed his head a king and perhaps his body arrested with a continuall feuer So the louers of the world while they catch at the vanishing shadowes thereof as honours riches pleasures and thinke to repose their rest in them in the meane time the course of their life being suddenly run out when these viri diuitiarum dormierunt somnum suum rich men haue slept their sleepe euen in death they finde they were deluded with meere shewes and shadowes without substance and for these momentaine pleasures to be plunged in the infernall flames for euer to be tormented Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding he will not knowe the things which belong vnto his true peace euen like the fagiuated beastes which are to day in the pasture to morrow in the shambles O that we would learne to knowe the things that pertaine to our true peace Christ leaues God his Father heauen his countrey the Angells his people to dwell with vs but we scarce allowe him the stable there is no roome for him in the Inne Pride hath taken the chiefest place in the hart malice and enuie the next in the minde lust hath possession of the eyes lying and swearing of the tongue gluttonie of the taste theft and murther of the handes and couetousnes of our thoughts When the Assises are at hand and the Iudge comming how circumspect are we that our trialls may passe on our side What instructing of our counsaile seeing of our Lawyers informing of the quest but Christ is at hand his day is nigh his seate prepared O then that we did know the things that pertaine vnto our peace at that day ô that we would see and preuent the future danger Mans corrupt nature is commonly most careles when he should be most carefull and the wicked most secure when they are most in danger most negligent when they should be most prouident The day of the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night therefore the Greeke word Cleptesfur is deriued Apó tou caloptein of hiding or couering or Cléptein to take away by stealth he commeth in the darke where no body sees he treadeth vpon wooll when no body heares he watcheth an houre which no bodie knowes If the good man of the house had knowne at what houre the thiefe would come he would surely watch saith our Sauiour but we knowe that Christs day will come and yet keepe no ward carefull of our goods careles of our soules Our bodies are houses our soules our true goods our sences the doores and windowes the lockes the word and prayer the diuell is a thiefe man is the Householder death is a thiefe his comming is vncertaine be watchfull and wise be alwaies prepared after death commeth the iudgement O beloued let vs foresee this daunger take heede of the fooles Motto had I wist least we say too late O that we had knowne the things which belonged vnto our peace Holy Ieremie bewayling the calamitie of his people saith Her filthines is in her skirts she remembred not her last ende and therefore she came downe wonderfully This beloued is the fatall disease of all sinners and their wretched illusion they forget their ende they take sinne by the head and not by the taile they consider the beginning of their pleasure which sheweth them a faire face but they thinke not of the ende which concludeth the Catastrophe in extreame miserie And what I pray you is this world which so blindeth vs that we neuer thinke on the future time and refuse to knowe the things that pertaine in this our day vnto our peace surely it may be compared vnto an hollowe nut or the Apples of Sodome which haue nothing within but a filthie worme and rottennes looke into the world and you shall finde nothing but vanities pleasures are but forerunners of destruction this life is a channell the sweet Riuers do alwaies runne and ende in the salte sea and bitter waters breue est quod delectat aeternum quod excruciat short pleasures long paine this is the ende of the world and worldlings a golden head but earthen feete like Nabuchadonezers Image vaine ioyes ende with mourning as Herods ioy was consumed of wormes Princes Pallaces are but earth their golde but the filth of the earth their silkes but the dongue of wormes riches are runa-waies fauour deceitfull beautie vanitie and corruption our mother And shall this deceitfull world make vs forget the things which belong vnto our true peace O that we did knowe at the least in this our day the things that belong vnto our peace As Iacob when he was borne held Esau by the heele So the godly considereth sinne by the ende thereof O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this they would consider their latter ende saith holy Moses But the present plentie of all things and the flattering face of the world hideth Gods iudgement from mens eyes Euen as certaine rich young men but vnexpert in worldly things in their trauell taketh vp their Inne and seeing themselues chearefully receiued and entertained of their Host prodigally wast and consume all their money vntill their purses being peniles and exhasted of al they perceiue the countenance of their Host to be changed their entertainement grudged attendance denied and themselues enforced to depart carrying nothing with them but shame reproach and pouertie So the louers of this world being lulled a sleepe with pleasures and worldly prosperitie and being ignorant of the solide heauenly good things spend all the vigor of their mindes and cogitations their spirituall substance in these vanities and when all is spent they are sent out of the world sorrowfull naked laden with sinne hauing nothing left but hel and Iudgement O then that men were so wise to knowe in this their day the things that belong vnto their peace It is worthie the noting that Christ calleth all the pleasures of this life but one day Euen in this thy day For the wicked haue but their day but Gods Iustice hath many daies and therefore he saith afterward For the daies will come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and therefore he said vnto the Iewes this is your very houre Euen as the fire according vnto the nature of the subiect on which it worketh endureth either a short or a longer time as that which is made with firme Oâ—e continueth long and that which feedeth vpon strawe quickely goeth out so the ioyes pleasures and honours of this life because the matter thereof is fluid caduce and fraile soone vanisheth away but that which is fixed on the soliditie of vertue and godlines endureth for euer Plinie reporteth that there is a kinde of
righteousnes Continuall custome in sinne hath conuerted nature into so obstinate an habite vt callos in anima contrax erint As the prouerbe is their very hearts are so hard as brawne altogether insensible in their wickednes That strong armed man which besiegeth the fort of their hearts diligently laboureth to stoppe euery passage that the light of Gods holy spirit cannot peirce into them The nature and might of that enemie is mistically shadowed out by God himselfe in the description of the monster Leuiathan his scales are like strong shieldes and are sure sealed one is set to an other that no winde may come betweene them Such as this olde Sepent is such are his children whom he possesseth he fortifieth the holde of their heart as it were with hard scales that no spiritual artillerie may penetrate the same lay before them Gods threatnings for sin the terrors of hell for the reprobate the ioyes of heauen for the penitent c. They are no more moued quam si parieti loqueris then if thou spakest to the Wall as if Hell and Death had alreadie laide holde and seazed vpon them The Booke of God assureth vs that the cause of their captiuitie heretofore was the contempt of Gods Worde and Prophets when all the people were miserablie caryed away into Babell But they mocked the Messengers of the Lorde and contemned his Words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lorde arose against his people and till there was no remedie And the Sonne of God saieth heere That the cause of their woefull and finall destruction whereof I haue spoken was also because they refused to know the time of their visitation and therefore persecuted his messengers And lastly the Sonne of God himselfe which he bewailed O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets stonest them which are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered thy childrē together as the Hen gathereth her brood vnder her wings ye would not But ô good God if we compare the sins of England at this day with the sinnes of the Iewes how can wee chuse but feare tremble Considering that not Ierusalem onely but also England is plunged in as deepe obliuion of the Time of her Visitation as euer that sinfull Citie was Surely Beloued griefe of heart willeth me to sit still in silence and wish with holie Ieremie that my Head were full of water and mine eyes a Fountaine of Teares that I might weepe Day and Night for the sinnes of this Land Yet sithe Zeale enforceth mee to speake I had rather vse the wordes of a zealous Preacher vttered before the greatest Auditorie in this Land to this purpose then insist vpon mine owne heerein The Word of God is a reproach vnto men they haue no delight in it And this want of delight in the Message maketh the Messengers to be despised Are not Gods Cryers reckoned but as Cassandraes prophesies His Ambassadors worse then Iustinians Orators Yea no better then the Filthe and Offscowring of all things vnto this Day Euery cursed Tobiah and Samballat is enuying at our Spirituall buildings Euery scoffing Michol maketh a jeast of our preaching Euery sacrilegious Ammonite is clipping of our garments Euery presumptuous Chorah and Abiram is carping at our preferment It is reported in Ecclesiasticall histories that at what time Constantine that worthie Patron of the Church had inuested the poore distressed Ministers with temporall patrimonies one was heard to say Hodie venenum cecidit in ecclesiam But now the Miscreants of this age haue found a remedie for that disease and haue giuen vs tryacle ynough to purge out all this poyson which hath neuer ceased vntill it hath extracted almost bowells and all What the Palmer-worme Papist with his Impropriations and after him the Grashopper Athiest with his prescriptions and after him the Cankerworme Patron with his reseruations And last of all the Caterpiller Cormorant with his illusions The Patrimonie of the Church like Pharaoes goodly kine hath bene deuoured by ill fauoured leane and hungrie Nunscions and made like the descēt of Nabuchadnezzars Image from golde to siluer from siluer to brasse from brasse to yron from yron to claye Hence it is that the word of God is no more regarded because the Messengers thereof are so much contemned and the cause of all this is our ingratitude because we will not knowe the time of our visitation If he smote with so dreadfull a iudgement Ananiah and Saphyrah his wife saith a worthie and a reuerend Father of our Church for withholding but part of the Church maintenāce which by themselues was giuen will he endure for euer them that take what they neuer gaue No no and that shall they knowe when peraduenture it will be too late to be sorrie for it Did these men see what my selfe haue seene and diuers yet liuing which can witnes the same as well as I what twitching torments of a wounded conscience what hellish gripes of dispairing feare neuer to see the face of God but to perish for euer with cast awaies some haue had for detaining but a small portion of such maintenance which now is thought the best cheat that can be caught happily it would nay surely it would except hell and death had alreadie taken possession abate the lust and asswage the longing that they haue to deuoure the incouragements of learning that yet remaine vnspoyled in this land But what they haue not seene in others they may feele in themselues too soone and sharpe if nothing will perswade them Thou art dead O Sunanite that intreatedst thy husbād to builde for the Prophet a chamber and to furnish it but thy memorie is blessed with God and man and a witnes shalt thou be in the day of iudgement against pullers downe of the houses built by men and women of deuotion and pietie for the Prophets children of the Prophets I speake nothing at this time for breuities sake of adulterie and whoredome swearing and forswearing drunkennes and riot oppression and crueltie fraude deceit in buying and selling which are so common in this land The Lord be mercifull vnto vs and giue vs grace betime by vnfained repentance to auert the heauie wrath of God hanging ouer our heads In that which I haue said brethren we may behold the fruite that springeth from this poysoned roote of sinne and what is the reward thereof how hatesome all wickednes is in the fight of God which caused him to plucke vp his people whom he had planted to cast euen downe to hell them whom he had aduanced aboue all other Nations and lifted vp to heauen This should worke in vs a detestation of sinne yea by all meanes to flie from sinne as from a Serpent which is the cause of all miserie in this life and of eternall torments in the life to come from sinne I say an euill so full of losse and dammage so full of